Valdera, an AI-driven sourcing platform for chemicals and raw materials, has raised $15 million in Series A funding, led by Index Ventures. Valdera’s platform helps manufacturers bring products to market faster, safer, and more economically.

Founded by siblings Sruti and Dheev Arulmani, Valdera has built a platform that uses machine learning and AI to streamline supplier discovery, qualification, and relationship building. The platform integrates Valdera’s proprietary AI technology with real-time market data. Underlying Valdera’s systems is an extensive database of chemical and raw material suppliers.

“With rising geopolitical uncertainty and climate risk, manufacturers are constantly forced to reinvent their supply chain. Traditional sourcing methods, like Googling one supplier at a time, just aren’t enough,” said Sruti Arulmani, co-founder and CEO of Valdera. “With advancements in AI, I knew we could change that. Valdera helps manufacturers transform their supply chain — be it with speed, resiliency, sustainability, quality, or cost.”

The demands of today’s consumers are evolving faster than ever. Manufacturers’ R&D and procurement teams must act quickly to keep up. Strategic, technology-driven sourcing is a company’s secret weapon to launching products faster than the competition. Valdera helps these teams discover suppliers and build high-trust relationships. While speed is a top priority, making sure products stay on the shelves is just as critical. Valdera’s technology helps companies stay resilient to shortages, inflation, and supply risk. 

Core to Valdera’s approach is helping suppliers build trusted, lasting relationships. Valdera offers suppliers a streamlined way to reach buyers with privacy and peace of mind. Its technology provides real-time demand signals, allowing suppliers to refine their offerings and educate buyers based on evolving customer needs.

The value Valdera’s platform delivers to customers includes the following: 

• Shortening product launch timelines by 30-40%
• Meeting quality standards & certifications, such as ISO, EWG, EcoVadis, Ecocert, COSMOS, etc.
• Achieving an average cost savings of 14% across customers 
• Reaching sustainability and social impact targets (e.g., carbon emissions, cruelty free, fair labor practices)
• Keeping product on shelves by swiftly responding to supply disruptions
• Eliminating single-points of failures by expanding supply network by 2-3x

In addition to Index Ventures, previous investors Susa Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, and Box Group also participated in the financing.  Notable industry leaders, including current and former executives from Procter & Gamble, Estee Lauder, Unilever, Nestle, Bayer, Henkel, Polycoat, and SAP Ariba have joined as investors and advisory board members.

“There is a massive market opportunity in sourcing, including a $5 trillion industry with Chemicals alone,” said Georgia Stevenson, Partner at Index Ventures. “Valdera’s data-driven, scalable solution offers procurement teams a simpler way to find and compare suppliers, ultimately driving critical cost and time savings in a complex landscape. Sruti and Dheev are approaching this problem with a fresh perspective and deep empathy for customers — we’re excited to be part of their journey ahead.”

Learn more about Valdera at www.valdera.com.